Fen Duanhun started setting up the formation to extract the Pheonix flames. Ling Yun was sitting next to his sleeping sister. He was carefully brushing her hair, trying to engrave every touch, sight and smell of Yaoyao. It would be the last time in his life that he would ever see this scene.

  He laid down next to her and looked at the sky. The sun was about to set perhaps alluding his coming end. An uneasy feeling settled in his chest. He turned and looked at Yaoyao's sleeping visage beside him.

  It's not that I'm rethinking my decision or afraid of death but dying at the age of 15, it just feels so empty.

  I don't have any grand dreams or aspirations but...

  But still I wanted to live a happy normal life. I wanted to experience falling in love.

  He kissed Yaoyao's forehead, his lips lingering for a moment.

  The elder said that she was a Nascent soul seed so the highs she will reach are beyond my imagination. But my only wish is for her to live happily.

  Heavens, if you are listening, in the next life, I want a cute sister like Yaoyao and a nation-toppling beauty to be my wife as a compensation.

  Now before the end let me play my final song.

  ****

  The formation is about to be completed. Only if I had the necessary artifact...

  Fen Duanhun sighed with regret. It was such a waste not to store those Pheonix flames. They could be given to a talented young disciple or an alchemist. But now they would be gone with that young boy.

  I should be satisfied. Bringing the girl with the Divine Pheonix body on its own is a great fortune for the sect. The Patriarch would dance with joy. Hmm, what's this beautiful song?

  He turned around and saw the etheral scene of the young boy playing his flute. The formation was complete so they should begin the extraction but he was unwilling to disturb this sight.

  Inspite of the impending tragedy, the song that the handsome young boy was playing was filled with joys of spring, of life. He closed his eyes and could vividly see a scene of the young boy sitting under a tree, playing his flute surrounded by birds singing to the tune.

  He who had lived for more than centuries had forgotten this youthful joy. Spending most of his time on rigorous cultivation, when was the last time he had sang so freely?

  The song ended and the boy turned to him with a small smile. "Senior, let us begin." Fen Duanhun was again impressed by Ling Yun's mental strength. Even at the deaths door, his hand wasn't shaking, his voice was steady as Ling Yun stood straight with the dignity of an immortal.

  Ling Yun, I will remember your name.

  ****

  Ling Yun removed his upper garments, baring his torso. Under the instructions of Fen Duanhun, he sat in the lotus position. Yaoyao was lying in the centre of the formation. Fen Duanhun had sent Xichen away to not cause any mischief. Only these three were there in the clearing.

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  Ling Yun steadied his breath as the elder made some hand seals and then he activated the formation. Suddenly, a stream of fire rose from her stomach. Like a wild snake, it started thrashing in the air ready to burn the one to dared to disturb it.

  The elder quickly formed different hand seals and spoke with a heavy voice. "Obey my will." The fiery snake tried to resist but it started to move towards Ling Yun. "Ling Yun don't resist the flames. Let them enter your dantian. Try to supress them there."

  It was the last thing he heard when suddenly his vision turned red. He tried to circulate his qi, to supress them with his meager cultivation but it was impossible with more flames coming from outside.

  Ling Yun had recently nearly burned to death, but this sensation was completely now. It was like there was a ball of energy in his dantian expanding rapidly about to explode while he was trying to compress it with his whole might.

  Fen Duanhun was carefully but rapidly extracting the flames. He looked at Ling Yun and could see his body shaking, blood flowing from his eyes, ears and nose.

  The boy will reach his limit soon. Twenty-five percent flames have been extracted, should be enough.

  He was about to stop when a loud shriek erupted out of nowhere. He was stunned as his soul started shaking in fear. His legs gave away. He fell on his knees as a flaming silhouette of a bird came from Yaoyao's stomach. It was hovering infront of him, it's eyes glaring at Fen Duanhun with murderous intent.

  Fen Duanhun started shaking. He hurriedly kowtowed, his forehead pressing into the dirty ground.

  "Divine Pheonix God, plea- please forgive this lowly one's impertinence. This... this lowly one failed to see Mt Tai. Please sh-show mercy."

  The Pheonix silhouette shrieked again and his body caught fire. Fen Duanhun started screaming in pain and tried to suppress it as quickly as possible. The silhouette flew in the sky in a circle and then rushed inside Ling Yun, who promptly fainted.

  Fen Duanhun got up after putting off the flames. His robe which was a high grade spiritual artifact was burned in many places, even his skin was burned heavily with the white of his bones showing. He was a Golden Core. It wasn't possible to singe him, let alone burn to this extent. His injuries were very severe perhaps it could lead to a drop in the cultivation.

  "XICHEN!!! XICHEN COME HERE."

  He yelled loudly. He was shaking in his boots at the prospect of the silhouette coming again to finish the job. He didn't want to stay at this place even for a moment more.

  As soon as his nephew came, he took out an artifact, a profound ark. He checked on the girl, her fever was rapidly going down. He took a one last look at the unconscious young man and then flew away as fast as possible taking Yaoyao and his nephew with him.

  *****

  Ling Yun opened his eyes and found himself standing on water. He looked around and saw an endless horizon, no sight of land.

  Where am I? I was just-

  He let out a startled cry as a stream of fire passed by him. Looking up it seemed like the sky was on fire.

  Wave after wave of fire were wildly shooting, at it's centre was a flaming silhouette of a bird restrained by black chains. The silhouette was struggling with all its might but the chains refused to let it free.

  "How annoying. Stay quite you stupid chicken."

  Ling Yun saw the back of a young girl about ten years old. Her black hair with purple streaks reached her waist. Her hand was lifted high, pointing at the silhouette tightly encased by the black chains. She closed her fist and the chains tightened, restricting the flaming silhouette even further. It shrieked and struggled but it was futile.

  "Ugh! Why Heavens why? Is it because I destroyed the Sacred Temple and humiliated that loser monk? Why do I have to suffer this idignity, this humiliation? That stupid stupid brat." She was animatedly muttering to herself.

  Ling Yun hesitantly spoke, "Young miss, who are you?"

  She turned around and Ling Yun found himself falling, falling in her deep amethyst eyes. Many would sacrifice their lives for one look at her face carved with the most precious jade. A nation toppling beauty adorned in purple robes.

  "Young miss? You brat you dare to call me young miss?"

  From her frown Ling Yun instinctively knew that she was not ordinary, not ten years old.

  "It seems like I've got no choice. Even the gods are powerless under the eye of heaven."

  She sighed and then met his eyes.

  "Brat, you can call me Brahma. Let's ascend the heavens together."